Breech mechanism



D. F. ASBURY.

BREECH MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED 0CT.12, 1920.

1,41 5,856. atented May 16, 1922.

5 SHEETS-SHEET I.

D. F. ASBUR-Y. 'BREECH MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 12. 1920.

Patented May 16, 1922.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

D. F. ASBURY.

BREEC-H MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED ()CT. 12. 19 20.

Patented May 1 6, 1922. 5 $HEETSSHEET 3- D. F. ASBURY. BREECH MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED OCT-12. 1920.

Patented 16 2 & K3

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n. F. ASBURY. BREEGH MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 12, 1920.

1,415,856. Patented May16,1922.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

DORSEY F. ASBUR'Y, OF -WASI-IILTGHTOIW, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

BREECH MECHANISM.

Application filed October 12, 1920.

'lVashington, in the District of Columbia,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Breech Mechanisms, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to breech mechanisms and particularly to thoseemploying a swinging carrier and rotatable breech plug.

It is the purpose of my present invention to improve the construction of breech mechanism of the type described and claimed in my copending application Number 395,869 by providing a novel. construction for translating the plug longitudinally with respect to the carrier to get the gas check out of and into its seat so that the slope of the seat can be materially reduced and yet provide suflicient clearance for the swinging of the breech plug.

lvlore specifically it is the purpose of my invention to provide a breech mechanism wherein the plug translation means is between the carrier and plug operator, to provi-de a breech mechanism wherein the plug operator reacts from the carrier at one place to rotate the plug and at spaced places to translate the plug; to provide a cam device between the carrier and plug operator for translating the plug; to provide a cam device between the carrier and operator for translating the plug comprising a cam on the carrier and a roller on the operator; and to provide a breech mechanism including an actuating lever and an operator having only pivotal movement with respect to the plug and universal movement with, respect to the lever.

In the drawings chosen to illustrate my invention the scope whereof is set forth in the claims Fig. 1 is a rear elevation of a gun provided with a breech mechanism constructed in accordance with my invention with the mechanism locked;

Fig. 2, a plan view of my improved breech mechanism as shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3, a side elevation of the breech mechanism of Fig. 1 the actuating lever being shown in dotted lines in the position it would occupy with respect to the carrier when full Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 16, 1922.

Serial No. 416,486.

unlocking rotation has been imparted to the plug;

Fig, l, a section on the line 4+4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 a plan view of the mechanism artl in section and showin the ositions of the parts just after the rearward translation of the plug is completed; and

Fig. 6, a detail sectional view of the universal connection between the actuating le- .ver and plug operator.

Referring to the drawing 10 indicates the gun, 11 the hinged carrier provided with the usual spindle 12 on which the plug 13 is mounted for both movements of rotation and translation with respect to the carrier. This plug is desirably of the threaded type-shown in U. S. Patent 1,020,849 and coacts with an internally threaded screw box 14 mounted in the breech end of the gun.

The mechanism for effecting locking and unlocking rotation of the plug 18 comprises an actuating lever 15 pivotally mounted on the carrier by means of a detachable pivot pin 16. Suitably provided on the rear face of the plug. 13 are diametrically opposite pairs of bosses 17 and 18. These pairs of bosses 17 and 18 detachably support respectively pivot pins 19 and 20. Disposed between the lever 15 and plug 13 is a plug 0pperator 21 one end of which is secured to the lever 15 by a universal connection 15, while the other end is forked to form arms 22 and 23 which are pivotally engaged on the pins 19 and 20 respectively.

In'order to employ a gas check seat with very little taper in breech mechanisms of this type provision must be made for translating the plug during that portion of its rotation which occurs when the plug threads are out of engagement with the screw box threads. To this end I provide on the carrier 11 opposed cams 2 1 and 25 with which coacts a roller 26 mounted on the actuator 21. The cams are so shaped that as the actuator 21 moves during opening of the breech the cam 24 will coact with the roller 26 to force the adjacent end of the actuator rearwardly relative to the carrier and this movement of the actuator will in turn transl e he p s 3 re r ai' y th re pett I will be observed in respect to my breech mechanism pre uously described that the operator .Zl reacts from the carrier at the pivot between the carrier and actuating lever to rotate the plug, and said pivot and the cams 2 and to translate the plug. It will be further observed that by providing a universal connection between the actuating lever and actuator I can dispense with the necessity of disposing the pivotal axis of the arms 22 and 23 and of the lever 15 respectively so as to pass through the axis of the plug and likewise I can at the same time dispense with the necessity of disposing the axis of the actuator so as to' pass through the axis of the plug without in any manner interfering with the effectiveness of the mechanism. In the'torm of my inventionillustrated I utilize the energy stored up in the mechanism while swinging it into the breech to initiate a locking rotation of the plug 13 and also utilize unlocking'rotation of the plug to initiate opening swing of the carrier. To this end I rotatably mount in the pins 19 and 20 rollers 27 and 28 respectively which coact with cams 29 and 30 fixed'on the gun to produce the results just stated.

I clai1n I 1. In a breech mechanism, the combination of a carrier, a breech plug mounted on the carrier for both motions of rotation and translation with respect to the carrier,and

an operator for the plug reacting from the f carrier at one place to rotate t-heplug and at spaced'places to translate the plug.

2. In a breech mechanism, the combination of a carrier, a breech plug mounted on the carrier for both motions of rotation and translation with respect to the carrier, a plug operator movable with the angular movement of the plug and angularly with respect to its rear face, and means for translating the plug.

3. In a. breech mechahisni, the combination of carrier, a breech plug mounted on the carrier for both motions of rotation and translation. with respect to the carrier, a

plug operator movable with the angular movementof the plug and angularly with respect to its rear face, and cam means for translating the plu 4. In a breech mechanism,the combination of a carrier, 21- breech plug mounted on the carrier for both motions of rotation and translation with respect to the carrier, a plug operator movable with the angular movement Oil the plug'and angularly with respect to its rear face, and coacting cam elements for translating the plug, one of which is on the carrier and the other on the operator.

. 5. In a breech mechanism, the combination of a carrier, a breech plug mounted on the carrier for both motions of rotation and translation with respect to the carrier, a plug operator movable with the angular movement oi? the plug and angularly with respect to its rear face, and a cam device for. translating the plug comprising aroller and a cam, one of which is onthe carrier andthe other on the operator.

6. In a breech mechanism, the combination of a carrier, a breech plug mounted on the carrier for both motions of rotation and translation with respect to the carrier, a

plug operator movable with the angular movement of the plug and angularly with respect to its rear face, and a cam devlce for translating the plug. comprising a cam on tion of a carrier, a breech plug mounted on the carrier for both motions of rotation and translation with respect to the carrier, an actuating lever, a plug operator between the lever and plug having universal connection with the lever, and means directly coacting with the operator to translate the plug.

9. In a breech mechanism, the combination of a carrier, a breech plug mounted on the carrier for both motions of rotation and translation with respect to the carrier, an actuating lever, a plug operator between the lever and plug having universal connection with the lever, and cam means coacting with the operator to translate the plug 10. In a breech mechanism, the combination of a carrier, a breech plug mounted on the carrier for both motions of rotation and translation with respect to the carrier, an

' actuatinglever, a plug operator between the lever and plug having universal connection with the lever, and coacting cam elements for translating the plug, one'of which is on the carrier and the other on the operator.

11. In a breech. mechanism,the combina- "tionof a carrier, a breech plug mounted on the carrier for both motions of rotation and translatlonwlth respect to the carrier, an actuating lever, a plug operator between the actuating lever, a plug operator between the 10 lever and plug having universal connection with the lever, and a cam device for translating the plug comprising a cam on the carrier and a roller on the operator.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my 15 signature.

DORSEY F. ASBURY. 

